NewsNigeriaPoliticsWhy Buhari refuses to obey court orders on El-Zakzaky – IMN spokesman, Ibrahim Musa

Blunt Interview of Mallam Ibrahim Musa, spokesman of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) reveals behind-the-scene reality of the Sheikh Ibrahim Yakubu El-Zakzaky’s saga.
  • Sheikh Zak-Zaky is a prisoner of conscience, meaning he is being held because of his beliefs.
  • Clampdown on the Islamic Movement was pre-planned and executed in the interest of Saudi Arabia.
  • The opinion of the El-Rufa’i is hypocritical to say the least.
  • We have been around for over forty years, which in itself is an attestation that we are not confrontational or violent.
  • We call for the immediate and unconditional release of the Sheikh from this unjustifiable detention, along with those still in detention on this account.

Mallam Ibrahim Musa is a fiery Nigerian journalist that spent over 30 years in guerrilla journalism. He is a member of the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) and presently the editor-in-chief of a Hausa vernacular tabloid AL-MIZAN and also doubles as spokesman of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) being led by Sheikh Ibrahim Yakubu El-Zakzaky popularly known as Shiites.

In this blunt interview with our Regional Correspondent/ Editor Ibrahim Abdul’Aziz, the IMN’s spokesman spoke about the movement, its ideologies and on why Nigeria’s president Buhari continued to disobey court orders in releasing Sheikh El-Zakzaky.

Good to have you sir, in the wake of coronavirus pandemic, Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, said government was freeing 2,600 inmates in various prisons in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country. The Nigerian government appears to have ignored leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria Shiekh El-Zakzaky in its latest pardon of prisoners in the country. Many pundits believe that the pardon was specifically meant to benefit persons close to the corridors of power currently in jail for various offences.

Some notables late Nigerians were pardoned by President Muhammadu Buhari with the exception of your leader, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, so how did you feel and what’s your take?

 

Ibrahim Musa: The Islamic Movement in Nigeria felt bad really on the refusal of the federal government to release our leader Sheikh Zakzaky even in such a difficult time facing the nation and the world in general. All people of conscience felt the same way too, judging from the overwhelming comments we have been seeing on the social media in particular. This led us to issue a press statement some days after the announcement by the relevant authorities on this issue of presidential pardon.

We opined that “Sheikh Zakzaky deserves immediate freedom for very many reasons particularly at this difficult period that the nation is facing the scourge of Coronavirus. Chiefly among these, he remained in detention despite a 2016 federal high court ruling that declared his arrest and detention as unlawful, unconstitutional and a breach of his fundamental rights.

“Secondly, two different Kaduna High Courts have since discharged and acquitted almost 200 members of the Islamic Movement, who stood trial for the same charges he is allegedly said to have aided and abetted, for which he is currently unfairly being tried as a ploy to justify his perpetual detention.

“Furthermore, it is a well-known fact that the Sheikh is in dire need of expert medical attention as a result of the injuries he sustained when the military attacked his residence in December 2015.

He additionally suffered multiple strokes while in detention and was found to have dangerously very high levels of toxic heavy metals circulating in his system. This much has even been acknowledged by the High Court when they attempted to grant him a medical leave, which was foiled by the authorities.

“Lastly, the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic and its devastating consequences on the sick and those living in appalling conditions is a cause of grave concern. With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the world, it is the responsibility of the government to seek ways of protecting the vulnerable such as the Sheikh, by granting him his immediate freedom.

There is no better time to release the ailing Sheikh than now, given the emergency situation prevailing in the country and his dire health situation.”

 

Mallam Ibrahim Musa: There is no better time to release the ailing Sheikh than now, given the emergency situation prevailing in the country and his dire health situation.” 

Why do you think your leader El -Zakzaky and his wife Malama Zeenat still being held by authorities?

The answer to this question has been problematic to the federal government and Kaduna state governments and their agents, whenever it was thrown to them by journalists throughout the almost five year’s illegal incarceration of the Sheikh. They have been jumping from one reason to another whenever they are cornered to give a convincing reason why the Sheikh shouldn’t be free after all a competent court of the land has freed him. The latest being his case rest with the Kaduna state high court where he is being tried on some bogus charges, as said by Attorney general of the federation and El-Rufa’i the Kaduna state governor.

However the truth is Sheikh Zak-Zaky is a prisoner of conscience, meaning he is being held because of his beliefs. For over forty years now he has been calling for Justice to all Nigerians. He believes Islam has answers to all human problems.

Secondly the clampdown on the Islamic Movement which started in December 2015 was pre-planned and executed with the objective that is not in the interest of the country but in the interest of a proxy nation – Saudi Arabia.

The president himself allured to that in an interview he had with Al-Arabiya international satellite TV channel when he visited Qatar in 2016. If this is not the main reasons why the Sheikh is being held illegally, all the reasons proffered by state agents are incoherent and at most spurious.

Kaduna court adjourns ruling on El-Zakzaky's bail application ...

But according Kaduna state Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the IMN leader was detained on the orders of a competent court, being a suspect standing trial for multiple murders and other related criminal offences. With this he said El-Zakzaky is not being held illegally as widely reported?

The opinion of the El-Rufa’i is hypocritical to say the least. Are they now claiming that they are unaware of a valid standing order of a Federal High Court in Abuja declaring his detention illegal, unconstitutional and an infringement on his fundamental human rights? The proper thing for the government to do at that time was to obey the court’s order, release him, pay him the damages ordered by the court and a new house built for him. If afterwards the government still has a grouse against the Sheikh, then it makes a fresh arrest.

Now coming back to the bogey charges against the Sheikh in Kaduna state High Court, he is not being charged of murder but that of abetting it. And it will interest you to know that those Sheikh is accused of aiding to murder a soldier have all been released by two different Kaduna High courts. So who did the Sheikh abetted to murder? That is why we believe this current court case is a ploy to hold our leader in perpetual detention.

But he (Kaduna state governor) said the state government took time to investigate the Shi’ite leader and discovered that his activities for more than 20 years had caused several killings and harassment?

The Kaduna state governor is not being sincere here, simply because in the charge sheet before the Kaduna state High Court where Sheikh Zakzaky is currently standing trial, there is no mention of any of his past activities. All the eight charges dwelt on the Zaria massacre by the Nigerian Army in December, 2015.

Look Sheikh Zakzaky is not a criminal, since there is no any court conviction against him to that effect. Sheikh Zakzaky saves lives. His efforts to stop communal and religious riots in Kaduna state are legendary. We challenge the Kaduna state governor and his ilk to present to the public a single instance where Sheikh Zakzaky killed a single person.

Sir, it can be recalled here that the Shiites leader was arrested in 2015, after an alleged confrontation between members of your group, IMN and the Chief of Army Staff, General Tukur Buratai. Can you recall to us what really happened and its aftermath in terms of retaliation and attack on IMN members if there is any?

First let me correct the general impression among many informed readers and commentators that there was a confrontation between the Nigerian Army and members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria. What happened in December, 2015 and afterwards is not a confrontation. It was an attack by the federal government to kill the IMN leader Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, disperse his followers and outlaw the Movement.

A lot of right-thinking people have wondered how an ordinary suggested traffic disagreement could lead to such incessant mass murder that took place un-resisted for over 36 hours with the only statement coming from the president on the matter after a fortnight, when he was forced to comment by a team of journalists during a media chat.

Here is a brief catalogue of the killings we suffered at the hands of the Nigerian Army and other security agents:

  1. In the morning of Saturday 12th of December 2015, soldiers were stationed directly opposite the Hussainiyyah Baqiyatullah (Center where teaching sessions and other activities are held) located at No.1 Sokoto road, close to the polo pitch started the crisis when they shot at some members of IMN, killing seven at the spot. Not long after Gen. Buratai appeared and shot his way, killing some members also. Not less than 300 armless civilians were murdered by the Army at the Hussainiyyah that night from 12-14/12/15.
  2. In the night on the same Saturday 12/12/15 the Army also attacked the residence of Sheikh    Zakzaky, where thousands of members of IMN gathered to protect the Sheikh. Hundreds were also killed within the three days the Army took before arresting the Sheikh.
  3. Another point of attack by the Army was Darur Rahma, which is a park, with a graveyard and a film village owned by the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria. Tens were killed there by the Army on Sunday and Monday 13&14/12/15.

El-Zakzaky, Wife arraigned in Kaduna court for culpable homicide ...
File photo, May 2018: El-Zakzaky, Wife arraigned in Kaduna court

We believe 1000+ were killed by the Army during their killing spree of three days in Zaria and its environs.

  1. The 13 people killed in Kaduna during a peaceful protest. On Tuesday 15-12-15  mobile police opened fire upon members of the Islamic movement who were staging a peaceful protest demanding the release of Sheikh Zakzaky. On the spot 4 people died, while an additional 9 died later due to the gunshot wounds they sustained. Some of them were even electrocuted and stabbed severally while in custody.
  2. Attack at Unguwar Mu’azu and Kinkinau area: Again on Saturday, 16th October, 2016, a joint force of Police and thugs attacked peaceful members of the Islamic Movement at T/Wada, and Centres of the Islamic Movement in U/Mu’azu, Kinkinau areas. A Muslim brother was gruesomely killed by the thugs.
  3. Ten people were killed by police in Funtua, Katsina state on 12/10/2016 while on Ashura procession.
  4. 34 people were confirmed killed by the police in Kano on 14/11/2016 while on Arbaeen trek to Zaria from Kano.
  5. Two people were killed by police in Kano as IMN begins Arbaeen trek to Zaria on     05/11/17
  6. Attack on 7th January 2018: Police attacked another peaceful procession with teargas and live bullets that kicked off from Leventis roundabout along Ahmadu Bello Way, Kaduna, in the evening calling for the release of  Sheikh Ibraheem Zakzaky, on Sunday, 7th of January, 2018. They killed 2 persons and injured many.
  7. Shaikh Qasim Umar Sokokot was shot in Abuja during a free Zakzaky protest 9th January, 2018, but died on 5th February 2018 of the wounds.
  8. Aminu Ibrahim Zango from Gashuwa was also killed during a free Zakzaky protest on 9th January, 2018.
  9. Adamu Salihu Malam Madori, Jigawa state was also killed during a free Zakzaky protest on 9th January, 2018
  10. Imrana Muhammd Sani da Idris Abdullahi   were also killed during free Zakzaky protest in Kaduna on 21 June, 2018
  11. Then the killings of 27-30th October, 2018 in which 50 members of IMN were gunned down by the Army in Abuja.
  12. Over 60 members of IMN are languishing in jail awaiting trial for their participation in Abuja free Zakzaky peaceful protests.

In summary, we believe close to 2000 members of IMN have been killed by the Buhari administration since December, 2015.

Nigeria’s government had once claimed to have been spending a huge amount of N3. 5 million monthly feedings on El-Zakzaky, don’t you think the government is spending a lot on him?

At the time Lai Mohammed made the claim, we refuted it; that was when he was under the custody of DSS. On paper, it might be that was what they were fleecing the public purse, but in reality, it was the Sheikh that taking care of himself. Remember now he has been in Kaduna prison since the year, which I think has now put paid to that outrageous claim.

Following constant protests and perceived clashes government decided to proscribe Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) of which El-Zakzaky is the president because it is not registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). Though IMN had filed a suit challenging the proscription, so is there any hope of reconciliation with the government?

Firstly let me correct the assertion that the Islamic Movement is an organization that probably needs to be registered by the relevant authorities. For your information, the Islamic Movement is a concept, not an organization. We believe that the Islam which we profess should govern our individual and social lives. This alone is enough to make you understand it does not need any registration let alone for it to be banned by any despotic regime?

Secondly IMN is not the one fighting the government. It is the other way round. In our forty-year history, we have not for once killed anybody or destroy any property. It has always been the other way round. We have lost many members to government agents and our properties destroyed in many places.

We went to court to challenge the court order banning the Islamic Movement simply because due process was not observed. Since the matter is before the court I will not say much about it. Of recent, our Chief Counsel Femi Falana SAN has disclosed that it was COS to the president that even signed the memo banning the Islamic Movement, which is unfortunate and unconstitutional.

As seen on viral pictures, before the 2015 elections, there seems to be understanding and mutual relationship between your leader El-Zakzaky and his arch-rivals, Buhari and El-Rufai, please what brought the change?

To us nothing has changed. Sheikh Zakzaky has already become a national and international community leader. He is a father to all. Before this senseless crackdown on the Movement, political leaders and other community leaders do visit him to commiserate or commemorate with him, depending on the occasion.

He met with the duo on different occasions in the past, and I think only they can answer what has really changed when they assume the helm of affairs of this country in 2015. It is really mind-boggling if one recollects how El-Rufa’i disparaged the Jonathan led federal government when its soldiers killed 3 children of the Sheikh and 29 other members of the Islamic Movement in 2014, and now he not only killed another 3 children of the Sheikh but killed his senior sister, 1000 plus of his followers and even attempted to kill the Sheikh himself and his wife, leaving them with gunshots wounds.

After several pleas and protests within and outside the shore of this country for conditional bail of El-Zakzaky, and was granted for him to seek medication in India.  Later a drama ensued while he was there and that imbroglio prompted his controversial return, can you please tell us what really happened and what later followed?

Remember that the revered Sheikh Zakzaky, who had suffered stroke twice in detention and had a very high concentration of led poison in his body among various other life-threatening ailments were allowed by the Kaduna state high court to fend for his medical tour in India which he went along with six government security workers. He was to be treated in Medanta Hospital in New Delhi.

Distrustful, of the Nigerian government’s offer of a jet to take him to the destination, having survived its attempts to poison and kill him while in detention, he declined the offer and chose to pay for his trip through the Emirates Airline.

He never requested for his passports to be handed over to him but assured them that they should have no fear that he was going to sneak away as his passport and those of the people accompanying him were all with the government agents.

Sheikh Zakzaky had been checked and referred to the hospital by his doctors but was denied access to those doctors on arrival in India. The court allowed the Sheikh to go to India on his own with the government only supervising, instead, the government went to India to present to the government that he was a high-level criminal that they were bringing to India and demanded stringent security on him contrary to the court order.

More so, the hospital compromised its stance and medical ethics as a result the Sheikh lost interest in the hospital and demanded to see his own doctors for a substitute arrangement. Pending the meeting for the arrangement by the concerned stakeholders, the Sheikh demanded to leave the premises of the hospital for a hotel.

The interference of the government raised suspicion that it was planning to kill the Sheikh in India using its international connections. He insisted that if he would not be allowed to see the doctors that brought him to India he would rather come back to Nigeria and seek another destination for his treatment. This became clear because of the government’s stance insisting on other doctor than the ones that he was in India to see.

The government finally shed crocodile tears praising the Indian authorities for offering to return the Sheikh to Nigeria whereas on the contrary, the Indian Ambassador to Nigeria had since announced that his government has no hand in the ill-treatment of Sheikh Zakzaky.

It is glaringly clear that the Nigerian government had an ulterior motive it was nursing using its connections in India when it violated court order and interfered with the procedures of the Sheikh’s treatment.

There seems to be misconception about your group, IMN and its affiliation with Islamic Republic of Iran and where do you get funding. Can you explain?

Sheikh Zakzaky has also been inundated by this question from journalists and many arrested members of the Islamic Movement suffer interrogation on this in the hands of security agents. It is not difficult to provide answers to this question of funding and association with the Islamic Republic of Iran. For the former, even of recent Katsina state governor, Hon. Masari was reported to have scolded some Islamic organisations who went to him cap in hand seeking his government’s assistance. He told them to adopt the Shiites way. What’s our way of funding our activities? We solely rely on donations from members. And probably because of the large mass following the Movement enjoins, it gets its projects done. Take a good look at all our projects, none is beyond our ability. This alone is enough to shrug off any suggestion that we are funded by Iran. But we know of Islamic organisations that are bankrolled by the Saudis, because of the sheer cost of their projects.

For the latter, we associate with Iran simply because we share similar ideals of Shia jurisprudence and Islamic governance. Remember other Islamic organisations show their affiliation to either Morocco or Saudi Arabia. There is nothing wrong with this!

There are many religious groups in Nigeria, but some accused you, IMN as most confrontational group with the government, why? 

We are not confrontational in nature. It is that other Islamic groups are afraid of our growing influence, and some governments are instigated against us. If not, we mean well to society in general. We have been around for over forty years, which in itself is an attestation that we are not confrontational or violent.

Do you subscribe to Shiite’s school of thought because they are the majority in your group?

The Movement as a whole is not Shiite, but the majority of its members are Shias. As the name shows it is Islamic in nature. Let’s put Islam into practice in our private and social life, this is what we are saying in a nutshell.

On the final note, what message do you have for President Buhari, Kaduna state governor El-Rufai and other Nigerians that are yet to understand you?

In the meantime, four years on, the government has never been able to prove any of their allegations against Sheikh Zakzaky or any of his supporters in any court of law. The Sheikh has remained unlawfully detained in spite of a judgment by an Abuja Federal High Court that his continued detention is a breach of the constitution and his fundamental rights, and indeed all known laws.

For most of his years in detention since then, Sheikh Zakzaky has been held virtually incommunicado with only limited access to his legal representation. He was apparently poisoned in detention and is being denied medical treatment, putting his life at very great risk.

This oppressive Buhari regime has also since gone ahead to escalate their tyranny against members of the Islamic Movement, further killing many hundreds and arresting and detaining equally many hundreds more.

The rights of Sheikh Zakzaky and his supporters are continually being violated with impunity. We, therefore, call on the International community, especially the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague and the UN to expedite action to hold the Nigerian government accountable for its crimes, and help uphold the inviolable human rights of the people of Nigeria.

Finally, as we enter the fifth year of this Zaria Genocide Memorial, we unequivocally reiterate that enough is enough of this systematic oppression of Sheikh Zakzaky and members of the Islamic Movement. We call for the immediate and unconditional release of the Sheikh from this unjustifiable detention, along with those still in detention on this account. We also demand the immediate arrest and prosecution of all the culprits involved in the Zaria genocide of December 2015 and its aftermath.

Thanks for fielding our questions…

Ibrahim Abdul' Aziz (Correspondent)
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